Elara POV
The lingering reverence in Albin Todd’s eyes from yesterday had settled into a quiet, watchful pride by noon the next day. The shop smelled of dried sage, crushed mint, and the rich, savory aroma of the leftover venison bone broth my mother had brought us for lunch. It was a peaceful, grounding atmosphere—until Diana shattered it.
My mother was pacing the worn floorboards of the shop, her hands throwing exasperated gestures into the air.
"I swear, that boy is going to put me in an early grave!" Diana fumed, her eyes flashing with the residual irritation of a recently severed Mind-Link.
I paused my mortar and pestle, exchanging an amused glance with Albin. "Desmond again?"
"Who else?" Diana huffed, planting her hands on her hips. "I finally managed to pin him down through the Pack link to demand he bring a date to the full moon gathering. And do you know what your stubborn cousin had the nerve to say to me? *'Aunt Diana, I'm busy! The Warriors need me!'*"
She mimicked his deep, authoritative Gamma voice perfectly, though her maternal annoyance completely undermined it.
"He's the Gamma, Mom," I offered gently. "He probably is busy."
"Busy avoiding a Pairing!" Diana countered fiercely. "But that wasn't even the worst part. To get me off his back, he actually tried to deflect by offering *you* up to his Alpha!"
My hands froze. The heavy stone pestle slipped, clattering against the bowl. "He did what?"
Diana sighed, her anger melting into a complicated, protective frown. "He thought he was being clever. He told Alpha Kalen, *'She's just a wolfless Omega, Kalen. Fragile. She needs a quiet life, not the burden of being an Alpha's Mate.'*"
A sharp, unexpected sting pierced my chest. I loved Desmond, and I knew he was fiercely protective of me, but hearing those words spoken aloud felt like a heavy iron chain wrapping around my throat. *Fragile. Wolfless. A burden.* Even to my own family, that was my defining identity.
"And... what did the Alpha say?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Diana shook her head, her expression tightening. "He shut it down instantly. He just said, *'Don't be ridiculous. Get back to training.'*"
*Don't be ridiculous.*
The Alpha's cold, dismissive words echoed in my mind. To the most powerful wolf in the Bloodmoon Pack, the very idea of being paired with someone like me was an absurdity. A joke not even worth entertaining. Deep within my chest, my newly awakened White Wolf bristled. A low, silent growl vibrated against my ribs, rejecting the insult from a wolf who didn't even know my true nature.
Before I could process the heavy weight of their dismissal, the bell above the shop door chimed frantically.
A figure stepped inside, moving with a hurried, almost frantic energy. They were wrapped entirely in a heavy, dark wool cloak, the oversized hood pulled low to obscure their face completely. The scent of nervous anticipation rolled off them in waves.
My heart plummeted straight into my stomach. I recognized that scent.
It was Rosalie Vance.
Oh, Goddess. Panic seized my throat, suffocating me. Did the Glow Salve have a delayed reaction? Did my healing magic backfire and cause some horrific side effect overnight? Her Pairing Ceremony was tonight. If I had ruined her face permanently, the Pack enforcers would have me exiled—or worse.
"Rosalie?" I whispered, my hands trembling as I stepped out from behind the heavy oak counter. "Please, let me see. Whatever happened, I can fix it, I promise—"
Rosalie let out a sound that was half-sob, half-laugh. Her hands reached up, gripping the edges of the heavy wool. With a dramatic flourish, she threw back the hood.
I gasped, my hands flying to cover my mouth.
Her skin wasn't just healed; it was absolutely flawless. The angry, inflamed red spots from yesterday were entirely gone. In their place was a luminous, healthy complexion that radiated vitality. Her skin looked as though it had been kissed by moonlight, soft and impossibly perfect.
"Look at me," Rosalie breathed, her eyes shining with tears of pure, unadulterated joy. She rushed forward, grabbing my trembling hands and squeezing them tightly. "You aren't just a herbalist, Elara. You are a miracle worker blessed by the Goddess."
The suffocating panic in my chest evaporated, instantly replaced by a soaring, dizzying rush of triumph. Albin Todd stood behind the counter, a knowing, incredibly proud smile lifting his weathered cheeks.
"I need three more jars," Rosalie declared, her voice trembling with excitement. "Immediately. And I don't care what it costs. I am telling every single female at the Pairing Ceremony about you, Elara Snow."
Standing there, holding the hands of a beautiful, confident female whose life I had just changed, the sting of Desmond and Kalen's words faded into the background. I wasn't a fragile burden anymore. I was a Healer.
